Mission Statement

Our mission is to protect the health and safety of the residents and taxpayers of Bannockburn, Riverwoods, Deerfield, Highland Park, and Highwood by reducing the risk of disease through science-based, ecologically sound mosquito control. We accomplish this efficiently and effectively. We have no employees, no pension costs, no facilities and no equipment. We outsource all seasonally required services to our contractor, Clarke, the foremost mosquito environmental management firm.

West Nile Virus 2024 - YTD September 19, 2024
County	Birds	Mosquito Batches	Human Cases
COOK	0	2,284	17
DUPAGE	2	151	8
LAKE	1	145	5
MCHENRY	1	23	1
63 ADDITIONAL COUNTIES	35	291	11
67 Counties - IL TOTAL	39	2,894	42 & 3 fatalities

WNV Mosquito Batch/Samples from Southlake Mosquito Abatement District region:

Highland Park (29), Deerfield (4), Riverwoods (7), Bannockburn (3), Fort Sheridan (2)

Lake County Health Department Reports Multiple Cases of WNV and First Human Death of 2024

Lake County, Ill - The Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center is reporting the first human cases of neuroinvasive West Nile Virus (WNV) in Lake County for 2024. In the past seven days, three individuals have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), up from just one case reported last year. One of the affected individuals, in their 80's, experienced symptom onset in mid-August and passed away shortly thereafter.To read full report

First Illinois West Nile Virus Death of 2024 is Reported by IDPH in Lake County

Chicago Illinois - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced the first 2024 death of an Illinois resident with West Nile virus (WNV). The individual, who was in their 80's and lived in Lake County, had an onset of symptoms of WNV in mid-August and died soon after. IDPH is also reporting nine non-fatal cases of WNV confirmed to date this year.To read full article

Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Lake County

Lake County, Ill. — A mosquito “pool” (batch of mosquitoes) sampled on June 12, 2024 in Highland Park has tested positive for West Nile virus. This mosquito pool is the first confirmed indicator of West Nile virus presence in Lake County in 2024. “We expect mosquitoes every summer, but it's important to remember that they can also carry diseases like West Nile virus,” said Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center. “We can take steps to ‘Fight the Bite' to protect ourselves and our families from a potentially deadly disease.” Practice the “4 Ds of Defense” to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes: Drain: Drain standing water from items around your home, yard, and business. Defend: When outdoors, use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, 2-undecanone, or IR3535 and reapply according to label directions. Dawn and Dusk: Protect yourself all day and night, and wear repellent outdoors during these prime times for mosquito activity. Dress: Wear long sleeves, pants, and closed toe shoes when outdoors to cover your skin.To Read Full Article

IDPH Reports First 2 Mosquito Batches to Test Positive in 2024 for West Nile Virus in Cook & Morgan Counties

Chicago - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that it has confirmed the first two batches of mosquitoes to test positive in 2024 for West Nile virus in Illinois, one in Hoffman Estates in Cook County and one in Morgan County. The specimen in Hoffman Estates was collected by the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District on May 14. A second batch to test positive was found May 16 in Jacksonville in Morgan County. The confirmation of the first two mosquito batches follows a mild winter and spring and comes two weeks earlier than in 2023. IDPH recently reported that the first bird to test positive form West Nile virus was found April 2 in Douglas County. To Read the Full Article -

Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Lake County

Lake County, Ill - Mosquito "pools" (batches of mosquitoes) sampled on June 27, 2023 in Bannockburn, Lake Villa, and Vernon Hills have tested positive for West Nile virus. These mosquito pools are the first confirmed indicators of West Nile virus presence in Lake county in 2023. "We expect mosquitoes every summer, but it is important to remember that they can also carry diseases like West Nile Virus," said Mark Pfister, Executive Director of the Lake County Health Department and Community Health center. "By learning to 'Fight the Bite', we can protect ourlseves and our families from a potentially deadly disease."To read full article

April 27, 2021 Genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Florida.

Per Tim Fitzsimons - Florida will begin releasing genetically modified mosquitoes this week as part of its efforts to control one of the disease-spreading species of the biting insect. The State will release almost 144,000 nonbiting male mosquitoes in the coming weeks engineered by the British firm Oxitec that are meant to mate with biting females, with any resulting female offspring unable to survive. Read Full Story

January 18, 2021 The discovery of a novel mosquito on guantanamo Bay reveals how globalisation is threatening to unleash the next pandemic.

During the night of 18 June 2019, on the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an intruder was caught in a trap. Soldiers are accustomed to prisoners wishing to breakout of Guantanamo. the base is best known as the place where the US indefinitely confines suspects inits "was on terror", without due process or trial. For an intruder to make her way in was unusual. Even stranger, no one had ever seen anything like her on this side of the world. The first witnesses to get a close look described the interloper this way... - Read Full Story

The Southlake Mosquito Abatement District (www.slmad.org) is continuing to monitor local mosquito populations and test samples for West Nile Virus. While the absolute number of Mosquitoes is not high, the District has seen an uptick in mosquito samples testing positive for West Nile, making personal protective measures throughout the rest of the season very important.-Read Full Story

The WHO (World Health Organization) reports that to date, there has been no information nor evidence that the new coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes"- Can Mosquitoes Transmit Covid-19?

5G mobile networks DO NO spread COVID-19 - Viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks. COVID-19 is spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks. COVID-19 is spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. People can also be infected by touching a contaminated surface and then their eyes, mouth or nose. -More

CDC reports no local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission in the continential United States, Alaska or Hawaii in 2019. CDC also reports that there have been no confirmed Zika virus disease cases reported from United States territories. -More

If you are traveling outside of the continental United States or its territories, please see the Zika Travel Information Page

The South Lake Mosquito Abatement District was created by State statutory procedure in the 1920’s.

Voluntary annexations of territories not included in the original District has taken place over the years. Several towns (Bannockburn and Riverwoods), Deerfield west of Wilmot Road, and in more recent cases (Fort Sheridan), subdivisions and land parcels or corporate properties have been annexed into the district to receive mosquito management services.

Funding: The District receives no money from the County government. It only receives funds from real property taxes. In 2016 the amount received from a home with a market value of $600,000 was approximately $24.50—the price of a few cans of mosquito repellent.
Who We Serve: SLMAD serves the Villages and Cities of Deerfield, Riverwoods, Bannockburn Highwood and Highland Park, including Fort Sheridan. A small portion of unincorporated Lake County is also served. The district is an independent governmental unit, operating in good standing under the original State statute.
Major Principle of Operation: to reduce risk of disease through science-based mosquito control and maintain quality of life. How we do this:
Education of the public about mosquito control and ways to avoid disease.
notifications of actions taken by the SLMAD
encouraging removal of standing water
answering complaints and questions
addressing issues such as abandoned swimming pools etc.
sending out material or distributing materials of interest, through mail, newspapers, website and farmers’ markets etc.
distributing age-appropriate information to local schools
Surveillance includes
Regular monitoring of 18 traps located all over the district for mosquito population numbers and disease.
Reporting of standing water and abandoned or neglected swimming pools etc.
Treatment when appropriate.
Prevention
reducing mosquito populations through prehatch applications
larviciding standing water areas

Protect yourself against mosquito bites

Flooding and Mosquitoes

The recent heavy rains and subsequent flooding has increased the number of mosquito broods, especially in flood plain areas along the Des Plaines River and local branches of the Chicago River. Southlake Mosquito Abatement District (SLMAD) has increased both inspections and larval control in the areas most affected by flooding, especially in portions of the City of Highland Park and Village of Riverwoods. Helicopter larval control has been done for some flooded areas of Riverwoods.

Adult mosquito control within the district (by truck-mounted ultra-low-volume misters) has been done based on trap counts, as usual.

We have responded to a number of complaints of standing/stagnant water and mosquito problems.

We encourage residents to check their yards for, and empty, anything that will hold stagnant water—flower pots, children’s toys, watering cans, etc. Ornamental fountains and decorative ponds are among the most common mosquito breeding sites in residential areas. Fountains do have moving water, but the water usually doesn’t run fast enough to prevent mosquito breeding, so fountains should be cleaned out once or twice a week, or a larvicide (which is safe for birds, fish, and other animals) used.

Stop Growing Mosquitoes in your Yard!

Does a West Nile Virus Vaccine Exist?

There is no vaccine to protect again West Nile Virus, and anti-viral medicine are ineffective. The best way to keep from being infected is to avoid getting bitten by mosquites. Current preventive measures in South Lake Mosquito Abetement District include frequent and on-going surveillance, larvaciding and adultciding.

Updates on Zika virus from the Centers for Disease Control

What we know about Zika virus infection and transmission

Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus.

Infection during pregnancy can cause a birth defect called microcephaly and other severe fetal brain>defects
mosquitoes.
You can also get Zika through sex without a condom with someone infected by Zika, even if that person does not show symptoms of Zika.
There is no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat Zika
What we do not know

How likely it is that Zika infection will affect your pregnancy.
If your baby will have birth defects if you are infected while pregnant.
The full range of health effects that Zika virus infection during pregnancy might cause.

For more information on pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes Click Here